Road trip 2024

Dec 14, Brooklyn, NY -> Greenwich, CT

NYC day today! I took Ellie on a long morning walk back to Prospect Park, and she did so great. There was SO MANY dogs – I can only imagine her realizing “omg there are this many other dogs in the world??” I also think that inundating her with all of the dogs made it easier for her not to react, there was always another dog to try to greet! She did so great though, at one point we even went into the big field where all the dogs were playing, and she just sat and watched. Anytime she looked at me she got a treat, and she picked it up pretty quickly. She’s also starting to react to my “Is that a dog?” cue which is great. Not foolproof yet, but definitely something.

I got back to the apartment and got a bagel breakfast and matcha, my favorite NYC treat. Megan and I hung out in the apartment until the early afternoon, and then I went off to walk Ellie again before meeting up with Megan, her mom, and her friend at a nearby bar. The bar allowed dogs inside and Ellie did great! She basically laid down the whole time, save for when we were eating wings during which time she really cozied up to Megan’s friend.

After that, went back to Megan’s apartment to order dinner and say goodbye, and then headed up to an airbnb north of the city to stay the night before heading home tomorrow (!!)

It’s been a great trip full of reflection and growth, both for me and Ellie! I’m so proud of how well Ellie did throughout the whole trip - from paw care to toothbrushing to city life to dog reactivity to bars - and of how much she’s grown. I’m very excited for this pup’s continued growth. :)

And I’m excited to be back in a bed that is mine and that I stay in multiple nights in a row!!

Dec 13, Washington, DC -> Brooklyn, NY

Another work morning today, then I was off to New York. I found a state park about an hour away from DC to take Ellie, and ended up hiking around for about two hours – basically twice what I’d intended! So I got to New York later than I intended, but still early enough to catch Megan before bed.

I took Ellie to her first NYC walk - Prospect Park - and she did great! She didn’t seem bothered at all by the big city energy, she was just excited to have so many things to smell. Then we went back to the apartment to hang out. It took Ellie a while to settle - she had to try out every possible sleeping surface and ended up deciding that she didn’t like the futon bed on the ground but instead wanted us to make room for her on the couch. Which we happily obliged.

I haven’t slept in a non-queen-sized bed on this trip yet, so I had to fight her a little bit to get off my bed before going to sleep. She eventually gave it, and slept wonderfully on her dog blanket next to me.

Dec 12, Washington, DC

Today was a nice chill day. Worked in the morning and early afternoon, and then headed back into DC to meet up with Scott. I was planning to take Ellie to Rock Creek Park for a jaunt before dinner, but ended up parking at a picnic area in a valley with no accessible trails – I thought I could just bushwack to the nearby trails but did not account for the topology, d’oh! But through our powers combined (and Ellie’s newly learned “cross” cue, which means “please beeline across the street without stopping in the middle like you like to do”), Scott and I met up and found a bit of woods to walk through.

We then got dinner and drinks at a great Iranian place (I got a Saz’iraq, so good), which was delicious and great fun. Went back to check in on Ellie and walk her a little, then got one more drink at a bar before calling it a night.

When I got back to the Airbnb, Ellie was extremely playful (in the fenced in yard) - it was very cute! Also quite fair, she’d been very patient in the car for quite a while, and I was grateful that she didn’t seem more upset with me.

Dec 11, Damascus, VA -> Washington, DC

A surprisingly great day, despite it being mostly just driving!

I woke up to more rain, blarg. Felt a spark of motivation so did a little bit of work and then headed off to a nearby hike recommended by my Airbnb host - part of the Appalachian trail! It was raining/sleeting/snowing on the drive, so I was not looking forward to driving in that terrible weather the rest of the day. I timed the hike perfectly though - the rain let up and turned to extremely light snow right when we started walking. Hiked for about an hour and a half on a lovely trail with a bunch of different landscapes - meadows, a spring, multiple forest types, oh my!

I got back in the car and headed to grab lunch at a curbside / drive-in diner that I found on Roadfood – I can’t believe I’d never heard of this website before! The burger was delicious and they even gave Ellie a milkbone, so she also got some lunch.

Then it was off to DC, about 5ish hours away. The rain completely stopped and it ended up being clear weather the whole way, phew! I thought about stopping at Shenandoah National Park for another short hike and maybe for sunset, but my ETA was about 5:15 which I figured was too late. Ellie was also completely out for the whole drive so I didn’t think she was missing another walk. Got to DC and met up with Scott at the National Mall as we walked around the various monuments while Ellie tried desperately to chase ducks and rats.

Now I’m at an Airbnb with a fully fenced-in backyard and Ellie is happy as a peach.

Dec 10, Nashville, TN -> Damascus, VA

Today was mostly a driving day, with a bit of work in the morning. I also had a later checkout than most Airbnbs I’ve stayed in, so was able to go for a run before leaving. Turns out Ellie is a big fan of suburbs - she had no problem bathrooming (even in short grass!) and we had a nice time running on the quiet streets. Maybe she was a rich family’s dog in a past life.

I had a long drive to Damascus, VA where I’d found a very cheap Airbnb when it looked like the weather was gonna be super cold tonight. (It didn’t end up being very cold, but it was still rainy and windy and miserable, so I’m glad I shelled out the $57 for a building!)

I found what seemed to be a gorge-ous state park on the way, Cummins State Park. Unfortunately the gorge trail was closed so I only got to see the waterfall from the top view point. Still beautiful for sure, but I wanted to hike through a gorge! Foiled again, I guess that’s not a rainy season kinda thing to do…

Got to Damascus later than I’d hoped and was feeling very pooped. I knew Ellie needed to bathroom so I took her on a walk, but it was so rainy and windy that she was really on edge and distracted (and eating poop or dirt or something on the ground she was really interested in, ugh). Plus it was dark and rainy and windy so I was kinda on edge too, not a fan.

Dec 9, Memphis, TN -> Nashville, TN

t’s a different kind of road trip now, but also really great. I officially have places to stay booked until I get home - combination of cities and bad weather and I’m living that Airbnb life (minus one night in NYC with Megan - wish us luck in the big apple!!)

Today was also a great road trip day. I only had 3.5 hours to drive so I had a lazy morning catching up on photos, then went to the nearby park for a walk and a really great time at the dog park. Ellie had so much fun! And we even met a dog more submissive than Ellie, didn’t think it was possible.

Then I decided to take a chance on brunch with Ellie and it worked out great! There was only one other table on the patio so I was able to eat in peace, guess that’s the nice side effect of gray weather. It was very delicious.

Then a short drive to Nashville (which felt surprisingly long - I was really tired for some reason!) Fed and walked Ellie - both successfully!! - and then I decided to go to a brewery. It was great - the vibe started off really quiet, just the bartender and a few of his friends playing Mario kart on one of the bar TVs. Then a bunch of people showed up, not exactly sure what was going on but they seemed like sort of people who knew each other but also some strangers. Ellie did great through it all, even laying down fully at the peak of the busyness. So so proud.

Got some Nashville fried chicken on the way home and now I’m back at our cute Airbnb! Let’s see if I can convince myself to do some work tomorrow morning…

Dec 8, Sulphur Springs, TX -> Memphis, TN

Slept surprisingly comfortably despite the dampness and the three or so trains that came by during the night. I was worried that Ellie would be cold because her bed was a little wet, but she seemed fine.

Made it out of the Harvest Host in maybe record time - just around an hour. I took Ellie on a very short but productive walk (pee AND poop!), made breakfast, and packed my stuff for Airbnb’ing later that night. Unfortunately Ellie didn’t want to eat - I guess I only get either consistent bathrooming OR consistent eating, not both.

The weather was supposed to be gray and rainy all day with the rain picking up at night, so I’d decided to just book an Airbnb in Memphis rather than try to camp in the damp again. I still owed Ellie a good walk to break up the drive though, rain or no rain. After a drive with two great friend chats, we stopped in Little Rock to hike Pinnacle Mountain. It was very wet but also very fun. Lots of scrambly rocks to get up and done and the top was fully in the cloud of drizzle so I could see absolutely nothing.

Got back in the car for the other half of our drive. The nice thing about hiking in the rain and then driving two and half hours is that you have time to dry off!

In Memphis now, after having had delicious fried catfish for dinner. And I realized that my next planned Harvest Host night was also going to be a rainy night so I went ahead and Airbnb’ed that one too. It’s nice to be able to use money to pay for comfort…

Dec 7, Austin, TX -> Sulphur Springs, TX

Woke up in a bit of rough shape, took Ellie on a short walk where she peed (yay!), and then slowly muddled my way through breakfast and packing up.

I got matcha and tacos at Radio nearby, then went to McKinney State Park for a rainy jaunt. It was actually super nice - this place is like twenty minutes from where I grew up I have no idea why we didn’t come here more often!! Very cool rock formations and fun hiking. Would also be fun to swim in the summer. And bonus, Ellie peed and pooped!

Then I just drove in the rain to Sulphur Springs. I stopped in Waxahatchee for a quick walk, it was very cute and I got another pee! I got to my Harvest Host and ate a delicious chicken sandwich standing out on the covered porch, chilly but at least dry.

Dec 6, Austin, TX

Had a bunch of meetings in the morning and then went back to the really nice park for a short run. We met so many off leash dogs and Ellie did great with all of them!!

Quick shower and then I headed to a nearby brewery to meet friends. Here again Ellie did so well! The highlight was at the end of the night, when we had moved inside, she laid down by our table and even had a full flop for a hot sec.

It was so nice to catch up with Shelby, Jettie, and Wes. Coming back to Austin always gives me such a mix of emotions - I’m sad to be so far and so removed from my friends’ lives, and I always end up feeling nostalgic and also maybe a little regretful. Parallel timelines, figs, paths not traveled, etc etc.

Dec 5, Austin, TX

Sad and dreary Austin day. I worked in the morning and then to Ellie to a nearby park on my way to the orthodontist. The park was so nice! Lots of off leash dogs but they were all very chill. I went to my orthodontist after twenty years because I’ve been having issues with my bottom retainer, and I really don’t like the orthodontist I found back home. He remembered me and the whole family! And did a much better job than the other guy. And! I got some more of their indestructible pens.

On my way back I decided to stop by my old neighborhood. It was on the way and I needed to walk Ellie anyway. Went into the greenbelt and found our old treehouse - I instinctually knew that clump of trees was it as soon as I saw them. There were still a couple boards up! Also walked a bit through the greenbelt trail and found our old house. It’s funny how many details I remember - this was Eli’s house and that was Nicolette and so on. My guess is I’ll remember those names and recognize the houses forever.

I then continued my pilgrimage to HEB, the very one I worked at. Interestingly I remembered very little about the layout, but the smell did definitely take me back. Bought a bunch of random stuff and then went to do a couple more errands before heading back.

Kerbey queso for dinner with a sweet Ellie resting her head on my lap, some journaling and Elsbeth and bed time.

Dec 4, Odessa, TX -> Austin, TX

Driving from Odessa to Austin - “bleak drive” as one of my Austin friends immediately remarked.

Stopped at San Angelo State Park for an intermission hike, which was pretty nice. I like the shrubbery around here, it’s very distinct and reminds me so much of growing up playing the greenbelt.

Then straight to Austin. I was gonna stop again but Ellie was sleeping and seemed fine. Took her on a walk when I got to the Airbnb, and holy crap was I taken aback by the number of dogs in their yards barking their heads off at us. It felt like every other house on a few of the blocks!! Not a fan. But I did manage to find an entry into the nearby greenbelt, where Ellie promptly peed into the tall grass as soon as she saw it.

Dec 3, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, NM -> Odessa, TX

Great first-thing hike into the canyon I’d been to the night before to get Ellie to poop. Much less creepy in the daylight! This is a very lovely park.

Headed to White Sands again, did the Alkali Flats hike (about 4 miles). It was so nice - I wasn’t worried about Ellie’s paws because the sand was soft and cool, and even though it was pretty hot she was drinking regularly when I gave her water so she didn’t seem overheated at any point. And at the end we met a woman and her dog Brodie, who Ellie had fun swatting like she does Skky. It was a fun conversation and a really great hike. I had been considering turning back before the full loop, but I’m glad I went all the way - seeing the dunes open up to the flat sand was quite cool.

Then a straight 5-hour drive to Odessa, TX. I have to say this was probably my least favorite drive of the trip so far – the first hour or so through the mountains outside of Alamogordo were beautiful, but then it got to fields of oil rigs and just straight, flat, boring but also industrial road. New Mexico is also much bigger than I realized, it felt like forever until I crossed into Texas.

Best part of the drive was finishing Daisy Jones and The Six. I think this is the trip I discover audiobooks!

Staying at an Airbnb tonight before heading to Austin tomorrow! Excited for friends, tacos, and HEB.

Dec 2, Indian Bread Rocks, AZ -> Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, NM

The southwest really gets it. Another great day!

Had a couple of work meetings in the morning which I unfortunately didn’t have great service for, but it worked out anyway. I’ve noticed that Ellie will whine for a few minutes when I’m sitting and have her tied up, but after a bit she’ll decide to settle. By the end of my calls she was laying down and chill, which was great to see.

We met a fellow traveler and his pup (who drank Ellie’s water which then motivated her to finally freaking drink), and then had a bit of a scramble up some rocks and followed a cow trail into the many other rocks. Lots of spiky bushes so I turned around after a bit.

Then straight shot to White Sands National Park, with just one stop at an award winning rest stop for lunch. (Did they stop giving out the award in 1992, or…?)

Wow, White Sands was amazing. Truly stunning and awesome to be there for sunset. We just wandered through the dunes and practiced our recall (Ellie hadn’t eaten all day so she was very responsive to my treats). There was a wedding happening right at sunset, freaking stunning. Interestingly it was quite a different experience than the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado - these dunes were much more solid and easy to walk on, while those are very sandy. These dunes also seem less tall and like they cover maybe a larger area? It’s funny how both of these places have beautiful sand dunes, but are stunning in much different ways.

I loved it so much I decided that I wanted to come back for a proper longer walk tomorrow. The way to make that not stressful was to book an Airbnb for tomorrow, so I wouldn’t have to worry about timing my departure or anything. Big fan of solving problems with money.

Tonight was also a change of plans, I’m staying at a campground near the park instead of going a bit further to a national forest campsite. Only $10 and I got a hot shower, yes please!

Dec 1, Vekol Valley Rd, AZ -> Indian Bread Rocks, AZ

Man, this was close to a perfect road trip day. Arizona does not disappoint!!

I slept without the back window covered in the hope that it would motivate me to get up more quickly. Not sure how well that worked, but I loved waking up to the view immediately.

After breakfast my first stop was Picacho State Park, per my parents’ recommendation. It was awesome, such a cool landscape and a fun hike. I turned back after about a mile because Ellie was really having a rough time with the heat and sun. My poor black dog is not made for the desert, alas. She did great in her booties though! And I was very relieved to worry less about her paws on the super rocky ground.

Next stop: Saguaro National Park! Had lunch at a nice shaded picnic area and then went for another hike on one of the few dog friendly trails here. Those saguaros are something else… The ranger had recommended a paved desert loop trail because it has great smells (for the pup), but I missed it on the way out and figured that Ellie had probably already had a good fill of smells for the day.

I definitely want to come back to these two parks without a dog! That said I’m quite pleasantly surprised at how nice it is to visit national parks with a dog. When you’re on a tight schedule like I am, you don’t really need much more than a short trail. Obviously a different experience than hiking all day for multiple days, but I’m really happy with how fun it’s been despite the limitations from the dog.

I was originally planning to stay at an unknown campsite tonight, but instead decided to head to Indian bread rocks which is somewhere I stayed in 2019. It only adds 30 minutes to my driving time tomorrow and I remember it being really great. Sure enough, it’s stunning even in the dark. Best stars I’ve seen yet!! Took a little bit to find a flat site and ended up parking near enough to my neighbor to hear their generator. But at least I’m close to the entrance which is where the pit toilet is! You know I love me a good pit toilet…

Nov 30, San Diego, CA -> Vekol Valley Rd, AZ

Headed back on the road today, this time: east! Took me much longer to pack up and leave than I expected, but then again I had a lovely morning - went for a run, had the last of the Thanksgiving biscuits for breakfast, and gave the fam a tour of the car. Cribs meets pimp my ride.

Grabbed a burrito on my way out of San Diego and thought to look up the two trails Janyne had recommended that were on my way today while waiting for my food (I promise I plan better sometimes). One of them seemed to need high clearance to get to the trailhead so I went with the other, even though it added like an hour and a half. What’s life if not time that you use to do things?

Got to the trail about an hour before sunset. Really nice short loop with lots of great views. Ellie didn’t love her booties but also didn’t mind them too much (except for her front right paw, she hated that one).

Drove a couple minutes to a nearby viewpoint for what I intended to be a leisurely burrito dinner, but then I realized that I dropped my long sleeve on the hike and rushed back to look for it before the sun fully set. It was right at the beginning of the trail, I’m pretty sure it feel literally the first time I got my phone out of my bum bag. I would’ve redone the entire trail to find it though, I love that fruit shirt.

After that micro adventure, straight shot to my camp for the evening - BLM land off the highway. (With some excellent singing along to old Ben Folds.) Was surprised to see quite a few RVs here, I’m not used to seeing many others on BLM land and especially not in winter. But this area seems lousy with off roading opportunities so I’m not that surprised it’s busy.

And now I’m typing this up on my phone as Ellie voraciously sniffs every bush for the things living under it, while I wish she would just pee. The life!

Nov 23, Las Vegas, NV -> San Diego, CA

Our Vegas day started with a phenomenal brunch prepared by Lucy and her partner - yum! We’d initially planned to go hiking but Ellie was definitely limping on the rocky ground, so we opted instead to do a bit of off roading (in Lucy’s partner’s brand new car, lolol oops). Our plans were a bit foiled by washed out ruts, so we pivoted and went to a mountain biking area with - surprise! - Joshua Trees! And also gale-force winds, holy cow.

Then we stopped by a roadside shop selling various cactuses (including Saguaros and Joshua Trees) and fun desert art, and then grabbed lunch in a nearby town. Ellie sat with us outside and did a great job being calm! A non-traditional Vegas day, but that’s what we wanted - and what Ellie’s paws demanded.

Then we were off on the last leg of this part of the trip - to San Diego! We stopped at an outlet mall and wandered through the bushes behind the stores until Ellie finally pooped. She hadn’t pooped at all in Vegas - there was basically no grass to be found, she was not a fan of the astroturf dog park in the complex we were staying in, and she really hated that all the lawns had rocks instead of grass. Good to know - Las Vegas is not a place Ellie ever wants live. We also got some In-n-Out, saw lots more Joshua Trees on the drive, and made it home! Thanksgiving here we come!

Nov 22, St George, UT -> Las Vegas, NV

We weren’t sure how today would go, so we got up very ready to play things by ear. I got some good work done, and then we seemed to be on track to get out of St George by mid morning but alas - the part they’d ordered hadn’t arrived so we’d have to wait till at least 4 or 5 for the part to come from Vegas (ironically our next stop).

We walked to the mechanic to drop our stuff off, and then grabbed a Lyft (Ellie’s first!) to a nearby park next to a large conservation area (Red Cliffs Park). The park was super lovely, with a great desert garden with a million different plants, all labeled!

We killed some time there, and then walked down to a brewery which turned out to be the same brewery we’d seen in Zion while waiting for the tow truck! (But we’d unfortunately seen it after waiting for 40 minutes, and so didn’t have time to get a beer. Second chances do exist.) Ordered some Thai takeout and chilled in the brewery for a couple of hours - it was in an old firehouse and one of those places with many different levels of bar, all decorated and furnished differently. We hung out on the balcony long enough to get scorched by the sun and realize we were locked out there, and then moved to a room with comfy couches. An hour or so in, they started playing music straight out of our childhood - the Gen Z bartender told Ben they were trying for an “emo night” and wow did they nail it.

All in all a lovely experience and well-deserved chill (especially for Ellie, whose paws had been starting to hurt after so much hiking in the rocky Utah desert!) If you find yourself in Zion or St George, highly recommend Zion Brewery.

We got a call around 4 that the car was ready and made our way over, and then headed straight to Vegas! We went straight to my friend Lucy’s place where she was hosting a Thanksgiving with colleagues, and then to her partner’s dog-friendly place for the night. An adventure!

Nov 21, Panguitch, UT -> Las Vegas, NVSt George, UT

Our last Utah day! Or so we thought.

We started the day with a quick jaunt through Bryce Canyon. We went to the rim trail which allows dogs, thinking it’d be a quick easy hike. Except that we more than doubled the length wandering through the various parking lots trying to find our car… D’oh! I forgot how confusing Bryce is. Went to Inspiration Point, then Ben hiked-ran to meet me at Bryce Point (which was by far the best viewpoint). Stunning views throughout, I’m so glad we made the stop.

Today was supposed to be mostly driving to Vegas, but we did want to squeeze in a slot canyon if we could. Ben found one that was right on the way (Red Hollow Canyon Trailhead) and which was quite fun. A lovely short wash hike to the slot canyon, which itself wasn’t too involved but definitely scratched the itch!

Then a truly stunning drive through Zion - another place that my memory really didn’t do justice! I know last trip I said I wanted to come back and hike the east side of the park, but now that we were driving through I’m not sure actually how much hiking you can do among the rocks. But either way, the sentiment stands - truly impressive landscape. This part of Utah is just so amazing - all of the landscapes are quite different from each other and all completely out of this world stunning. Plus, the national parks postcards really do capture the essence of these parks!

We stopped at a viewpoint after the long tunnel and smelled some burning, but assumed it was another car. Then we stopped at the visitor center and still smelled it - uh oh. We noticed that my front left wheel was super hot, which had happened earlier this year when my caliper got stuck. Back then, the mechanic didn’t have the part so they just got the caliper unstuck but didn’t replace it. So we were pretty sure that was happening again, and didn’t really want to risk driving on it.

Had a beer and a wander while waiting for the tow, and then had a lovely tow ride with a very nice man and a surprisingly not that stressed Ellie! Ben found a really great mechanic in St George that could work on the car tomorrow and I booked us a tiny house airbnb nearby - we really lucked out!! All things considered, probably the best outcome for having car troubles…

Nov 20, Bicknell, UT -> Panguitch, UT

After my meetings, we started the day with a cheeky lil’ stop at Capitol Reef National Park for some apple pie! And a lot of gawking at the phenomenal landscape, and the treets - the cottonwood trees! They were still quite yellow and just so stunning. The whole place looked exactly like the national park postcards I love so much. Another place that I don’t remember being much to write home about on my last trip, which ended up being a highlight this time. Capitol Reef and Nebraska, who would’ve guessed!

Then we headed to the main event: Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, my favorite place on earth. Obviously via the coolest road too, which snakes through amazingly Martian landscapes of rolling rocks (like rolling hills, but they’re rocks).

We went to the Devils Garden Outstanding Natural Area first and had the last of our leftover pizza among the rocks, before wandering down a wash and having a really great hike. So many cool rocks!!

We had considered continuing down the Hole-in-the-Rock BLM road to the awesome trio of slot canyons I went to last time, but it turns out it would have been another 40 minutes and questionable with the pup so we decided to skip it and head back. As we were leaving, we made a spontaneous decision to head down Harris Wash road - into the direction of a stunning sunset. We made it to Harris Wash right as the sun set, and walked a bit down the huge wash before heading back and inching back to the main road.

Some easy ramen at our Airbnb (which was clearly a party airbnb – bare kitchen cabinets, thick stench of bleach, and three bedrooms plus a HUGE couch), and then bed for our next adventure.

Nov 19, Moab, UT -> Bicknell, UT

Staying at Airbnbs while in Utah means doing a bit of work meetings in the morning before heading off for adventures.

Started our proper day with a super lovely hike in Moab, Grandstaff Canyon. Hiked through a lovely canyon with a few easy water crossings, lots of sand, and great views. At the end is a really big arch - the sixth biggest in the world! Ellie also got to play with some pups at the dead end under the arch.

Then we were off to Dead Horse Point State Park - I wanted to show Ben some real canyon views because he hasn’t been to the Grand Canyon, and Canyonlands doesn’t allow dogs. We had lunch while Ellie stared intently at a chipmunk that was mocking her, and then walked along the rim. Really great views! Except for the salt flats, which were a bit of an eyesore. Definitely not as incredible as Grand Canyon or Canyonlands but still very impressive. And fun to walk right up to the edge, ahhh!

I’d hoped to make it to Goblin Valley State Park on our way but it was way too ambitious of a plan, so we just headed to our next Airbnb in Bicknell. Fun to drive through Capitol Reef and marvel at what the heck is going on with the tiny bits we could see by headlight.

Only one place in town was open for dinner, Curry Pizza! Turns out a guy who owned an Indian restaurant once stopped in Bicknell for pizza, had the worst service ever, saw that the restaurant was for sale, bought it, and the rest is history! Except that he didn’t know anything about pizza so he traveled the US to learn about Indian pizza and now that’s what there is in the middle of nowhere Utah. We didn’t get the pizza because we’d just had (non Indian) pizza, but the Indian food was really good!

Nov 18, Rabbit Valley, CO -> Moab, UT

We survived the night! I put on an extra layer and wasn’t cold at all, and made sure that Ellie was covered by her blanket any time I woke up in the night. She didn’t seem anywhere near as miserable in the morning as she did after our first chilly night.

It turns out that Moab, where Ben is flying into tomorrow and where my Airbnb doesn’t check in until 4 pm, is only an hour and half away from where I slept. So I had a fun challenge ahead of me for how to fill the time! Jk it wasn’t a challenge at all, the answer is: wander the desert.

Started with the Trail Through Time which was quite lovely and had some dinosaur bones! Changed out of my layers and got ready for a longer hike, the Rabbits Ear trail. It’s about 6ish miles and was a lot of fun! I had Ellie off leash for almost the whole time, which was great because once she started getting tired her on-leash walking was more like walking a few steps, then stopping right in the trail until I bumped her to continue.

I stopped for lunch at the top with amazing views of the Colorado, and tired Ellie had a bit of a lay. We also met a couple of dogs in the parking lot after the end of our hike, which was fun.

Then off to Moab to our very cute Airbnb with amazing views. Had a chill evening catching up on Instagram and work, and then off to pick up Ben at the airport!

Nov 17, Denver, CO -> Rabbit Valley, CO

Woke up super early planning to go on a run before breakfast. Ended up passing a great dog park, and Ellie was calm and redirectable when two dogs came to say hi so I figured we’d give it a shot! She did great, took a bit to warm up but then wanted to play and was so happy whenever a new dog came.

Had breakfast with a friend from high school. So fun catching up and hearing about all of her ventures! Definitely adds a tally to the “freelance and live out of a van” career path option….

Next stop, almost Utah! My friend recommended Loveland pass for the views and she was right, they were great! Ellie and I hiked up a much more strenuous hill/mountain than I expected, but we both had a lot of fun. The elevation is no joke!! I let Ellie off leash for a little bit and once she realized it she sprinted downhill and then regretted that decision when it was time to come back to me lol.

Then straight shot to my campsite for the night, though I really should have stopped to re-up on water ah well. Also, I remember really disliking driving over the Rockies last time, in part because it was snowing pretty hard. But even in the bright sunny weather, I didn’t like it this time either - there are so many intense signs about runaway trucks and lost brakes and trucks are your brakes smoking. No thank you!

Tonight is my first BLM campsite, it’s across the highway from where I stayed on my last trip. Back then this area was free though! It’s ok there’s a pit toilet here. I’m very excited to be back in BLM land. Let the fun begin!!

Nov 16, Lexington, NE -> Denver, CO

Another great Nebraska day!! Today was pretty chill, since I only had about 5 hours to drive and would lose an hour with the time change, but my AirBnB check-in wasn’t till 3 pm.

As usual, I looked for a place to hike about 2 hours into my driving time. I hadn’t found anywhere that looked awesome, so I opted for a lake just outside of Ogallala (Lake McConaughy) and figured there would be something to do there. And there sure was! Ellie and I went on a long adventure scrambling along the shoreline. There was lake to one side and cliff-y slopes to the other so I let her off leash again, this time for much longer! We both had a lot of fun.

Then just driving straight to the AirBnb, with a lovely chat with Scott at the tail end. Planning to have Torchy’s for dinner, catch up on my various journalings (including doing some painting!) but also am feeling extremely lazy so might just curl up with Ellie and watch some TV.

Nov 15, Des Moines, IA -> Lexington, NE

I found some toilets in the morning at the nearby playground, I know you all were so worried for me! That was just the beginning of a great morning – lazy morning at the campground, chatting with Megan, catching up a bit on work, and doing some box game (nose work) training with Ellie.

Went on a walk and found a beach along the river, figured I’d try to let Ellie off leash. She was so happy!!! And overall decently responsive! It was nerve wracking for me but so nice to see her run full speed for the first time in a week.

I then headed off to Lincoln Nebraska for perhaps the most important stop of the trip so far: the International Quilt Museum. I’d seen it show up on my Google maps earlier and it was a no-brainer that I’d go. I took Ellie on a lovely sunny walk through a prairie meadow while chatting with Megan again before we headed to the museum. We had some off leash time again, and she did great again. (Ellie, not Megan). I’m really digging meadows on this trip.

Got to the museum 30 minutes before they closed, but turns out they were having a crafts market and were open late! I saw some really beautiful quilts, including one room full of striking red themed quilts that made me squeal with glee when I opened the door into the gallery. (I love these moments!)

There were millions of squirrels in the parking lot so getting Ellie to pee before leaving was out of the question, instead I stopped at the next highway rest stop and got to enjoy a stunning sunset.

Then I was off to my Harvest Host which was at a winery/brewery/cidery that allowed dogs inside. The owner was so sweet, the cider was delicious, and the ambiance was super lovely. I’m really loving getting the chance to practice bringing Ellie into establishments, given that these places tend to be quite empty and relaxed.

I also booked a last-minute AirBnB for Denver tomorrow – I was hoping to stay with friends in Denver, but no one was able to host me and it was going to be too cold to sleep in the car. Big fan of solving problems with money, and of choosing reasonableness and comfort over frugality. Oh, how I’ve changed since my youth!

I gotta give it to you Nebraska, today was a pretty great day. On my last road trip, Nebraska was by far my least favorite state (though to be fair it was gray and rainy and I was sick). Maybe I was wrong!

Nov 14, Chicago -> Des Moines, IA

Took Ellie to a new park for our morning walk that I saw had some brush area last night when I drove home. It did but it was no pets allowed, so we walked along the perimeter. She squeezed in between the fence posts and immediately peed and pooped once she was in tall grass. This lady likes her privacy!

She’s also doing much better with dog reactivity, there was a group of off leash dogs in the park she barely looked at. Only a couple of lunges on this walk, definite progress. Unfortunately as her dog reactivity gets better, it seems that her reactivity to squirrels is getting worse. That, or city squirrels just have no fear and she feels insulted by their audacity. It’s less problematic than barking at dogs, but way more annoying to me because she is unmoveable when she fixates on a squirrel.

Did a bit of work and just enough faffing to still be at questions Quentin’s at 11:30 when the boba shop nearby opened. Huzzah! (It was the best boba I’ve had in a long time - so good!!) But tragedy: no boba till noon. It’s ok I had some delicious green milk tea as a consolation.

I left Quentin with some art to help him decrate his new apartment and then was off to Starved Rock State Park, per Sam’s recommendation. Very lovely park, some pretty sweet canyon/gorge views (bonus gorges!!) and a great network of boardwalk paths. It was perfect to practice asking for an Ellie sit at every fork in the trail, which my trainer recommended. By the end I think she was starting to get it!

Then drive drive drive to Des Moines. I’m listening to a devastating podcast series from 99 PI about the tangible impacts of climate change today. I need like a week in between each episode to build back up to listening the next one, too real (but so good). Had a bit of cry which very cathartic, driving down the dark road and in your feels. Picked up some dinner in Des Moines (which has a surprising number of places that stay open till 9 or 10!) Made a game time decision to get pizza and a salad, probably overkill woops. Also my Greek salad only had one single cherry tomato in it wtf! The small injustices in life…

Made it to the campground which is just twenty minutes from the city. It seems very cute but also I was annoyed that the campground restrooms were closed, and there didn’t seem to be any others! It’s funny to me to pay $30 for just a slab of concrete and no other services, but I understand that there’s still maintenance and staff.

Nov 13, Chicago

Lazy workday in Chicago today. Ellie was so so happy to just splay on the couch all day, and I felt good getting caught up on work stuff. I’d thought I could do some work in the car when I got to places for the evening but so far 2/2 nights I’ve just ended up napping with Ellie before going to bed, hah! When she gets cozy her energy is just magnetic…

I also booked almost every stop till Utah, which feels really good. I think the stress of not knowing where I’ll be staying followed by the release of figuring out is something I really enjoy about road tripping, weirdly enough. It’s the roller coaster, but also the constant remembering that everything is gonna be okay, actually - it’ll all work out.

It’s also very nice to not be as money constrained as last time. If I’m finding it tough to find a free camping spot I can just literally solve the problem with money. Tomorrow I’m staying in a campground just outside Des Moines which I had to pay for but whatever, it’s super convenient and means I don’t have to rush for any check-in time.

Ellie is doing alright in the city. She really hated last night’s walk and this morning, but last night was very windy and this morning had lots of construction noise so it makes sense.

I met up with Sam tonight and we tried to introduce our dogs to each other, but they just weren’t having it. It was only a bit of a bummer since we were kind of expecting it to not work out, and I was glad to be able to learn more about Ellie’s response to challenging situtations. I ended up leaving Ellie in the car while we had dinner at their place, which was quite lovely. When I leave her in the car she does settle in her bed and seems to chill out, which is a big relief! Had delicious tacos and catch up time with Sam, and then on the drive home we stopped at a park that was blissfully empty and had some brush area for Ellie to comfortably pee and poop.

I am extremely bad at remembering to take pictures with my human friends, so I alas have no proof of either seeing Sam or the Biobot crew.

Nov 12, Cassopolis, MI -> Chicago

Dipped down to 40 degrees last night, I was ok but I’m a little worried about Ellie. She seemed very unhappy this morning - could be the cold, the wind, or the faffing who knows.

We met some goats this morning! Practiced our “frustrated greeter” training and she did great.

Found a nearby park for a longer jaunt, saw that lots of people were running so decided to go for a run myself. We saw a deer (in the trail!) and a dog. I’m a pretty big fan of these trails mowed into tall meadows - they feel a bit like a maze. Loved being out with the sun shining.

Next stop Chicago! But I noticed a sign for Indiana Dunes National Park and saw that it wasn’t a huge detour - screech what’s a road trip if you don’t make time for a cheeky lil’ national park detour?? The dunes were nice, very reminiscent of Cape Cod. Ellie had some great sand sniffs and was very cute by the water - dodging waves while trying to eat what I thought was rocks (turns out it was treats I dropped).

Made it to Quentin’s in Chicago. Went for a walk and our frustrated greeter did a great job! She smelled SO MANY city smells and saw lots of dogs, most of which she was relatively calm for. We were even able to approach one set of dogs and she got to say hi because she was calm. We’re so proud.

Then a Biobot reunion hang out at Quentin’s. So nice to see Gordon and Cameron, hear what they’re been up to, and reminisce with the gift of time passed.

Nov 11, Waterford, PA -> Cassopolis, MI

I slept great! First car breakfast went fine but definitely took longer than I’d like.

Hit the road but had a bit of faffing trying to find an Atlas obscura art installation. It was clearly just someone’s yard so I didn’t stop.

Then it took another bit to find but found myself in a super lovely park with a huge meadow with mazes of trails through it and woods along the edges. It was lovely and quiet so had lunch at the picnic tables. I really wanted to catch one last look at gorges, so I stopped at a hiking area an hour away. Wasn’t what I expected (no gorges) but still fun to walk on the shale river bed!

Then drive drive drive to just a couple hours outside Chicago. It was crazy windy - I tanked my average mpg!

Sleeping at my second harvest host, this time at a farm. Much smaller and harder to find a flat spot, and less clear walking space for l-dawg. Ramen and Nutella bread for dinner, which was tricky because it’s so windy. Ellie ate half her dinner outside but then wanted to go in, she was not loving this place.

Nov 10, Ithaca -> Waterford, PA

I decided to hike with Ilana in the morning instead of going to Letchworth State Park like I planned, in part because it was gonna be raining but also friendship. We had a nice hike through some gorges, then went to another gorge (but it was rainy and I could only hike around the top). Realized I’ve got some work to do on the Ellie + Claire selfie situation.

Stopped at a highway rest stop and took a nice walk, which brought us to a MASSIVE leach field.

My spot for the night is my first Harvest Hosts experience, at Poverty Knob Farmhouse Ales: really really nice. Took Ellie into the brewery, a group of friends were playing a dice game and were very sweet towards Ellie (they wanted to pet her but then left her alone when they saw how nervous she was). I had a fine burger and beer, then parked in the corner of the massive parking lot. They grow rows of pine trees which were really nice to walk through by the light of the moon.

Nov 9, Home -> Ithaca, NY

And we’re off!! Oof I feel so nauseous - I’m so nervous about this what if it’s a terrible idea ahhh

Oh hi Vermont! Pulled off the road because Ellie seemed really unhappy, turns out I pulled into Ellie’s first covered bridge! Still really nervous after our short walk: just won’t settle, is panting like crazy, and full body shaking when I stop. 😭

Took a quick lil’ hike on the Appalachian trail. Turns out the hike goes straight up woops. Ellie has a poop, I’m really hopeful she’ll be better. Which, yes - when we’re off again she sleeps most of the drive, thank god.

Made it to my first stop Ithaca to see Ilana (former postdoc in my PhD lab)! Her daughters were so sweet with Ellie, they handed her treats while turning their heads away. Ellie has a few face offs with the cat but no lunging or barking. So nice to catch up with Ilana and swap stories from the last year.